the Chinese and North Koreans withheld a number of U.S. POWs, possibly in retaliation for U.S. refusal to repatriate those Chinese and North Korean POWs who chose not to be returned to their home country out of fear of retribution.
We have a sacred duty to bring home every single American serviceman that has been deployed to a hostile combat environment. Even if this means searching for years after battles are won or lost. We owe it to the families and we owe it to the HONOR of those who have fallen or have been taken prisoner...
LEST WE FORGET!
POWMIA
Do we have somewhere a reliable accounting of how many are still missing or otherwise? Seems like there should be a big list, or a system of lists.
I agree we should do everything possible to find these guys, if they can be found. At some point (maybe in the far future, at the rate they're going), the Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans are going to hand over all of the remains that they have. Hopefully McCain could launch an active initiative to recover these.I have Two namesakes listed in the POW/MIA databases. This is very near and dear to my heart. I served for over 20 years but never did I give what these two fine Americans did. I want them back! The U.S. Government now has proof that our enemies of days gone by have been less than honest about this issue.
I demand Action!
I want all my fellow veterans to raise a ruckus until we bring them all home with honor.
I agree we should do everything possible to find these guys, if they can be found. At some point (maybe in the far future, at the rate they're going), the Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans are going to hand over all of the remains that they have. Hopefully McCain could launch an active initiative to recover these.
After we account for all that can be accounted for, there will still be some missing. In some cases, villagers would bury soldiers from any side that died - and most of those villagers have probably since died themselves. Maybe we could use some sort of ground-penetrating radar from the air and have a computer resolve images that show skeletal structures consistent with non-asians. Unless there's reason to believe one of our soldiers is buried in a particular spot, we wouldn't want to go digging up their cemeteries.
The shear idea of finding every servicemen/servicewoman who has been taken POW/MIA is impossible. I personally wish every one of them could be brought back home, alive, and given a medal. Unfortunatley it will not be that way.
We should honor them the best we can and never forget what they have done for us.
As for the ground penetrating radar bone finder consistent with non asians.......that sounds a little to Sci-Fi for me.....
That's assuming they kept records, and once we get access to those records. NK doesn't seem to be too cooperative right now.Technology is not the answer. This will take a Human Intelleigence effort (HUMINT) the like of which have not been seen since the cold war. It will also take years of research in Russian, Chinese, and North Korean Archives to decipher and determine the whereabouts and final resting places of our comrades.
It's not something that exists now...all I'm saying is there's always going to be some people missing. If you want to find everyone who died in battle in remote villages, then you'd have to wait until something far-out becomes reality.As for ground penatraiting radar...the technology does not exist as an airborne asset. We will need it to find individual gravesites but it cannot and will not determine ethniciticy. It sends a shockwave though the ground from a cannon shell and locates returns with different density. It does not scan and does not show orientation of bones.
That's assuming they kept records, and once we get access to those records. NK doesn't seem to be too cooperative right now.
It's not something that exists now...all I'm saying is there's always going to be some people missing. If you want to find everyone who died in battle in remote villages, then you'd have to wait until something far-out becomes reality.
POW's have been tracked to Russia, China, North Korea and Laos. many were not returned because of contempt or intelligence value. Many were tortured to death in ways to hideous to fathom. We as a nation need to demand an accounting of those not returned. Any answer that has eveidence to the contrary should be brought to the table for sanctions and possible retribution. It is time to let these petty thugs know we want them back or a resonable answer as to why not. You cannot in good consious just say that people will go missing in wars. We have a duty as Americans to never leave a man behind. We all need to be on the same page about this.
I agree that we should try for 100% recovery - either actual remains or an explanation of some sort. We should be able to get the vast majority (99% or better) back. And, key to our success would be starting a serious effort ASAP, as the people involved are getting older and dying off every day.POW's have been tracked to Russia, China, North Korea and Laos. many were not returned because of contempt or intelligence value. Many were tortured to death in ways to hideous to fathom. We as a nation need to demand an accounting of those not returned. Any answer that has eveidence to the contrary should be brought to the table for sanctions and possible retribution. It is time to let these petty thugs know we want them back or a resonable answer as to why not. You cannot in good consious just say that people will go missing in wars. We have a duty as Americans to never leave a man behind. We all need to be on the same page about this.
I agree that we should try for 100% recovery - either actual remains or an explanation of some sort. We should be able to get the vast majority (99% or better) back. And, key to our success would be starting a serious effort ASAP, as the people involved are getting older and dying off every day.
The government should attempt to get all of the information available together in one place, and approach the friendlier countries (China, Vietnam) first. If we have success there, we could then use them and their experience with the process to pressure NK to offer up anything they might have.
The flip side of course is that we would need to reciprocate with anything that we have.
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